Leatherman Wave Plus: start with a task list, not a tool count
The Leatherman Wave Plus combines 18 tools in an 8.5-ounce package. We examine the useful features, carrying tradeoffs and current sheath arrangement.
Leatherman’s Wave Plus puts several familiar workshop functions into a tool you can keep close. The important question is whether those functions match the small jobs you actually encounter. A long feature list has little value if the implement you need most is awkward for your hand or absent from the kit.
Researched product notes, checked September 29, 2026. We haven’t field-tested this Wave Plus or measured its cutting and driving performance. The graphic is our own, built from manufacturer specifications.
The useful part of the feature list
The current Wave Plus page lists 18 tools, an 8.5-ounce weight and a 4-inch closed length. Its functions include pliers, replaceable wire cutters, scissors, files, a saw and bit drivers. Several implements are accessible from outside the folded tool.
That combination is worth considering for occasional adjustments and utility work. Make a short list of the tasks you’ve needed a tool for recently: opening packaging, tightening a loose fastener, trimming material or dealing with a small snag. Compare those jobs with the actual implements rather than assuming the count predicts usefulness.
| Decision | What to check |
|---|---|
| Carrying it daily | Whether the weight and closed format suit your pocket, pouch or bag |
| Turning fasteners | Whether the supplied bits match your equipment and reach the fastener |
| Repeated work | Whether a dedicated tool would give better access and grip |
| Replacing worn cutters | Correct replacement parts and the manufacturer’s instructions |
Read the locking claim precisely
Leatherman’s feature description says the implements lock except for the plier head. “All-locking” should not become a claim that the Wave Plus is a pair of locking pliers. Likewise, the presence of one-hand-accessible features doesn’t tell you that every implement is equally easy for your hands to operate.
Try the opening actions and grip if you can. A compact multi-tool can be useful because it’s nearby, while still being less comfortable than a dedicated tool for a long session. We haven’t tested those tradeoffs on this model, and a published feature list can’t settle them.
Include the carrying arrangement in the purchase
The current US product description states that the sheath is sold separately. Check the precise package you’re buying rather than assuming an older bundle’s contents still apply. A carrying solution that works on a belt may not be what you want in a daypack, and buying it separately changes what belongs on the shopping list.
Maintenance also belongs in ownership. Leatherman publishes cleaning, lubrication and corrosion-prevention guidance. Follow that guidance for the tool’s condition and exposure; a steel tool isn’t maintenance-free just because it folds neatly.
Our buying take: shortlist the Wave Plus if its actual functions match your recurring small jobs and you’ll carry it. For sustained work, compare it with the dedicated tools you’d otherwise use. The Leatherman brand guide provides the wider range context without turning one model’s specifications into a claim about them all.